Code of Ethics and Conduct. Guidance published by the Ethics Committee of the British Psychological Society

Transcription

1 Code of Ethics ad Coduct Guidace published by the Ethics Committee of the British Psychological Society August 2009

2 This code was writte by the Ethics Committee of the British Psychological Society. Published by The British Psychological Society, St Adrews House, 48 Pricess Road East, Leicester LE1 7DR. The British Psychological Society 2009 ISBN:

3 Cotets 1 Itroductio 2 II Decisio makig 6 III Structure of the code 9 IV Ethical priciples 10 Respect 10 Competece 15 Resposibility 18 Itegrity 21 IV Coclusio 25 Refereces 27 Appedix 28 If you have problems readig this documet ad would like it i a differet format, please cotact us with your specific requiremets. Tel: ; mail@bps.org.uk. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 1

4 I Itroductio a) The British Psychological Society recogises its obligatio to set ad uphold the highest stadards of professioalism, ad to promote ethical behaviour, attitudes ad judgemets o the part of psychologists by: beig midful of the eed for protectio of the public; expressig clear ethical priciples, values ad stadards; promotig such stadards by educatio ad cosultatio; developig ad implemetig methods to help psychologists moitor their professioal behaviour ad attitudes; assistig psychologists with ethical decisio makig; ad providig opportuities for discourse o these issues. b) Uder the terms of its Royal Charter, the Society is required to maitai a Code of Coduct. I 1985 the Society adopted a Code of Coduct which has bee regularly updated. From moitorig complaits ad ethical equiries, the Society s Ethics Committee idetified a eed for a code which gave more emphasis o, ad support to, the process of ethical decisio makig. c) This Code of Ethics ad Coduct should guide all members of the British Psychological Society. It should be read i cojuctio with the Society s Royal Charter, Statutes ad Rules. It comes ito effect i August 2009 ad supersedes all previous versios. Member coduct rules came ito effect o 1st July The member coduct rules provide guidace o the behaviour expected of members of the Society. d) I formulatig this code, a wide rage of existig codes, as listed i the Appedix, were cosidered. 2 The British Psychological Society

5 e) The Society has also cosidered the wide rage of cotexts i which psychologists work. The aim of the code is that it should apply to all psychologists, with the focus o the quality of decisio makig allowig sufficiet flexibility for a variety of approaches ad methods, but providig ethical stadards which apply to all. Psychologists will also eed to familiarise themselves with the legal framework, regulatory requiremets ad other guidace relevat to the particular cotext i which they work. With effect from 1st July 2009, the regulator of applied psychologists will be the Health Professios Coucil (HPC). Members of the Society wishig to practise uder oe of the seve protected adjectival titles (Cliical Psychologist, Cousellig Psychologist, Educatioal Psychologist, Foresic Psychologist, Health Psychologist, Occupatioal Psychologist, Sport ad Exercise Psychologist) ad two protected geeric titles (Practitioer Psychologist ad Registered Psychologist) will eed to be registered with the HPC. The Society caot determie allegatios about fitess to practise. Ay such allegatios are referred to the Health Professios Coucil. f) I this code the term psychologist refers to ay member of the British Psychological Society icludig studet members. Examples of the roles udertake by psychologists iclude those of colleague, cosultat, cousellor, educator, employer, expert witess, evaluator, lecturer, maager, practitioer, researcher, supervisor or therapist. g) I this code the term cliet refers to ay perso or persos with whom a psychologist iteracts o a professioal basis. For example, a cliet may be a idividual (such as a patiet, a studet, or a research participat), a couple, a family group, a educatioal istitutio, or a private or public orgaisatio, icludig a court. A psychologist may have several cliets at a time icludig, for example, those receivig, commissioig ad evaluatig the professioal activity. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 3

6 h) Psychologists are likely to eed to make decisios i difficult, chagig ad uclear situatios. The Society expects that the code will be used to form a basis for cosideratio of ethical questios, with the priciples i this code beig take ito accout i the process of makig decisios, together with the eeds of the cliet ad the idividual circumstaces of the case. However, o code ca replace the eed for psychologists to use their professioal ad ethical judgemet. i) I makig decisios o what costitutes ethical practice, psychologists will eed to cosider the applicatio of techical competece ad the use of their professioal skill ad judgemet. They should also be midful of the importace of fosterig ad maitaiig good professioal relatioships with cliets ad others as a primary elemet of good practice. j) The uderlyig philosophical approach i this code is best described as the British eclectic traditio. Moral priciples ad the codes which spell out their applicatios ca oly be guidelies for thikig about the decisios idividuals eed to make i specific cases. Variable factors are ivolved such as the particular circumstaces, the prevailig law, the cultural cotext, the likely cosequeces ad the feeligs colourig the judgemet. However, if moral judgmets are to retai some objectivity, that is if they ca be judged to be right or wrog, they must be based o ratioal priciples which serve as criteria. Reaso by itself caot give positive guidace but oly commad cosistecy i actio which also meas impartiality. Reaso fuctios like the rules of logic, which do ot tell us what to thik but help our thikig to coform to ratioal priciples. Oe example of a ratioal priciple would be Do uto others as you would be doe by. Immauel Kat gave expressio to this i his Categorical Imperative: Act o such maxims as you could will to become uiversal law. Our capacity to act o ratioal moral priciples bestows o us the digity of free moral agets ad this leads to a further formulatio of the Categorical Imperative: Treat humaity i your ow perso ad that of others always as a ed ad ever oly as a meas. This 4 The British Psychological Society

7 positio forms the basis of the code. k) This code uses the word should rather tha the more coercive must or the permissive asks to reiforce the advisory ature of the code as a framework i support of professioal judgemet. Ay scrutiy of this process will cosider situatios i terms of the decisios made, the outcomes ad the processes ivolved. Thikig is ot optioal. The code has bee writte primarily to guide ot to puish. l) Fially, ethics is related to the cotrol of power. Clearly, ot all cliets are powerless but may are disadvataged by lack of kowledge ad certaity compared to the psychologist whose judgemet they require. This code attempts to ecapsulate the wisdom ad experiece of the Society to support its members i their professioal activities, reassure the public that it is worthy of their trust ad to clarify the expectatios of all. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 5

8 II Decisio makig a) Thikig about ethics should pervade all professioal activity. Ethics ca be defied as the sciece of morals or rules of behaviour. Psychology ca be defied as the scietific study of behaviour both iteral (for example, cogitio ad feeligs) ad exteral (for example, laguage ad actios). Thus whilst ethics ad psychology are distict, there is evertheless a overlap as both are cocered with behaviour. Before embarkig o professioal work the ethical implicatios should be cosidered as part of the work cotext together with legal, professioal ad other frameworks. b) Iformatio from surveys of psychologists, data o queries received by the Society ad iformatio from formal complaits idicates that certai areas of work produce the majority of cocers about ethical matters. c) These areas of cocer iclude: multiple relatioships where the psychologist owes a allegiace to several differet stakeholders; persoal relatioships where the psychologist ifriges or violates the trust of a cliet or cliets; uclear or iadequate stadards of practice where the psychologist is uaware of or disregards the curret systems i use by peers or others i similar work; breaches of cofidetiality where rules ad costraits were broke or ot clarified i advace with stakeholders; competece where excessive or misleadig claims are made or where iadequate safeguards ad moitorig exist for ew areas of work; research issues icludig falsifyig data, failig to obtai coset, plagiarism or failig to ackowledge aother s work or cotributio. 6 The British Psychological Society

9 health problems affectig performace or coduct; ad brigig the professio or the Society ito disrepute. d) May of the above cocers ivolve uethical behaviour but others ivolve lack of iformatio, poor plaig or carelessess. Reflective practice, peer support ad trasparecy of professioal activity would prevet problems occurrig or developig ito serious cocers. e) Despite every care beig take ethical difficulties will occur. Several systems of ethical decisio makig exist ad the followig is a adaptatio of the core themes. f) Idetify the relevat issues: What are the parameters of the situatio? Is there research evidece that might be relevat? What legal guidace exists? What do peers advise? Is there guidace available from the Health Professios Coucil or other relevat bodies? g) Idetify the cliets ad other stakeholders ad cosider or obtai their views. h) Use the Code of Ethics ad Coduct to idetify the priciples ivolved. i) Evaluate the rights, resposibilities ad welfare of all cliets ad stakeholders. j) Geerate the alterative decisios preferably with others to act as a soudig board. k) Establish a cost/risk beefit aalysis to iclude both short- ad log-term cosequeces. l) Make the decisio after checkig that the reasoig behid it is logical, lucid ad cosistet. Documet the process of decisio makig. m) Assume resposibility ad moitor ay outcomes. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 7

10 ) Apologise for ay egative outcomes that result. May formal complaits are ofte a cliet s oly way of obtaiig a ackowledgemet of distress. Sayig sorry does ot automatically admit liability. o) Make every effort to correct ay egative outcomes ad remai egaged i the process. p) Lear from the process for yourself, for others ad for the Society. q) While the process set out i this sectio may appear to be a cousel of perfectio, the thikig behid ethical decisios eeds to be clear, especially where time is short ad/or where high levels of emotio ad risk are ivolved. r) For further readig please see the refereces after the coclusio sectio of this code. 8 The British Psychological Society

11 III Structure of the code a) This code is based o four ethical priciples, which costitute the mai domais of resposibility withi which ethical issues are cosidered. These are respect; competece; resposibility; ad itegrity. b) Each ethical priciple is described i a statemet of values, reflectig the fudametal beliefs that guide ethical reasoig, decisio makig, ad behaviour. c) Each ethical priciple described is further defied by a set of stadards, settig out the ethical coduct that the Society expects of its members. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 9

12 IV Ethical priciples 1. Ethical priciple: RESPECT Statemet of values Psychologists value the digity ad worth of all persos, with sesitivity to the dyamics of perceived authority or ifluece over cliets, ad with particular regard to people s rights icludig those of privacy ad self determiatio. 1.1 Stadard of geeral respect. (i) Respect idividual, cultural ad role differeces, icludig (but ot exclusively) those ivolvig age, disability, educatio, ethicity, geder, laguage, atioal origi, race, religio, sexual orietatio, marital or family status ad socio-ecoomic status. (ii) Respect the kowledge, isight, experiece ad expertise of cliets, relevat third parties, ad members of the geeral public. (iii) Avoid practices that are ufair or prejudiced. (iv) Be willig to explai the bases for their ethical decisio makig. 1.2 Stadard of privacy ad cofidetiality. (i) Keep appropriate records. (ii) Normally obtai the coset of cliets who are cosidered legally competet or their duly authorised represetatives, for disclosure of cofidetial iformatio. 10 The British Psychological Society

13 (iii) Restrict the scope of disclosure to that which is cosistet with professioal purposes, the specifics of the iitiatig request or evet, ad (so far as required by the law) the specifics of the cliet s authorisatio. (iv) Record, process, ad store cofidetial iformatio i a fashio desiged to avoid iadvertet disclosure. (v) Esure from the first cotact that cliets are aware of the limitatios of maitaiig cofidetiality, with specific referece to: (a) potetially coflictig or superveig legal ad ethical obligatios; (b) the likelihood that cosultatio with colleagues may occur i order to ehace the effectiveess of service provisio; ad (c) the possibility that third parties such as traslators or family members may assist i esurig that the activity cocered is ot compromised by a lack of commuicatio. (vi) Restrict breaches of cofidetiality to those exceptioal circumstaces uder which there appears sufficiet evidece to raise serious cocer about: (a) the safety of cliets; (b) the safety of other persos who may be edagered by the cliet s behaviour; or (c) the health, welfare or safety of childre or vulerable adults. (vii) Cosult a professioal colleague whe cotemplatig a breach of cofidetiality, uless the delay occasioed by seekig such cosultatio is redered impractical by the immediacy of the eed for disclosure. (viii) Documet ay breach of cofidetiality ad the reasos compellig disclosure without coset i a cotemporaeous ote. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 11

14 (ix) Whe disclosig cofidetial iformatio directly to cliets, safeguard the cofidetiality of iformatio relatig to others, ad provide adequate assistace i uderstadig the ature ad cotets of the iformatio beig disclosed. (x) Make audio, video or photographic recordigs of cliets oly with the explicit permissio of cliets who are cosidered legally competet, or their duly authorised represetatives. (xi) Edeavour to esure that colleagues, staff, traiees, ad supervisees with whom psychologists work uderstad ad respect the provisios of this code cocerig the hadlig of cofidetial iformatio. 1.3 Stadard of iformed coset (i) Esure that cliets, particularly childre ad vulerable adults, are give ample opportuity to uderstad the ature, purpose, ad aticipated cosequeces of ay professioal services or research participatio, so that they may give iformed coset to the extet that their capabilities allow. (ii) Seek to obtai the iformed coset of all cliets to whom professioal services or research participatio are offered. (iii) Keep adequate records of whe, how ad from whom coset was obtaied. (iv) Remai alert to the possibility that those people for whom professioal services or research participatio are cotemplated may lack legal capacity for iformed coset. 12 The British Psychological Society

15 (v) Whe iformed coset caot be obtaied from cliets, o duly authorised represetative ca be idetified ad a pressig eed for the provisio of professioal services is idicated, cosult whe feasible a perso well-placed to appreciate the potetial reactios of cliets (such as a family member, or curret or recet provider of care or services), for assistace i determiig what may be i their best iterests. (vi) Whe the specific ature of cotemplated professioal services precludes obtaiig iformed coset from cliets or their duly authorised represetatives, obtai specific approval from appropriate istitutioal ethics authorities before proceedig. Where o istitutioal ethics authority exists, peers ad colleagues should be cosulted. (vii) Whe the specific ature of research precludes obtaiig iformed coset from cliets or their duly authorised represetatives, obtai specific approval from appropriate istitutioal ethics authorities before proceedig. Where o istitutioal ethics authority exists, peers ad colleagues should be cosulted. (viii) Take particular care whe seekig the iformed coset of detaied persos, i the light of the degree to which circumstaces of detetio may affect the ability of such cliets to coset freely. (ix) Uless iformed coset has bee obtaied, restrict research based upo observatios of public behaviour to those situatios i which persos beig studied would reasoably expect to be observed by stragers, with referece to local cultural values ad to the privacy of persos who, eve while i a public space, may believe they are uobserved. (x) Obtai supplemetal iformed coset as circumstaces idicate, whe professioal services or research occur over a exteded period of time, or whe there is sigificat chage i the ature or focus of such activities. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 13

16 (xi) Withhold iformatio from cliets oly i exceptioal circumstaces whe ecessary to preserve the itegrity of research or the efficacy of professioal services, or i the public iterest ad specifically cosider ay additioal safeguards required for the preservatio of cliet welfare. (xii)avoid itetioal deceptio of cliets uless: (a) deceptio is ecessary i exceptioal circumstaces to preserve the itegrity of research or the efficacy of professioal services; (b) ay additioal safeguards required for the preservatio of cliet welfare are specifically cosidered; ad (c) the ature of the deceptio is disclosed to cliets at the earliest feasible opportuity. 1.4 Stadards of self-determiatio (i) Edeavour to support the self-determiatio of cliets, while at the same time remaiig alert to potetial limits placed upo self-determiatio by persoal characteristics or by exterally imposed circumstaces. (ii) Esure from the first cotact that cliets are aware of their right to withdraw at ay time from the receipt of professioal services or from research participatio. (iii) Comply with requests by cliets who are withdrawig from research participatio that ay data by which they might be persoally idetified, icludig recordigs, be destroyed. 14 The British Psychological Society

17 2 Ethical Priciple: COMPETENCE Statemet of values Psychologists value the cotiuig developmet ad maiteace of high stadards of competece i their professioal work, ad the importace of preservig their ability to fuctio optimally withi the recogised limits of their kowledge, skill, traiig, educatio, ad experiece. 2.1 Stadard of awareess of professioal ethics (i) Develop ad maitai a comprehesive awareess of professioal ethics, icludig familiarity with this Code. (ii) Itegrate ethical cosideratios ito their professioal practices as a elemet of cotiuig professioal developmet. 2.2 Stadard of ethical decisio makig (i) Recogise that ethical dilemmas will ievitably arise i the course of professioal practice. (ii) Accept their resposibility to attempt to resolve such dilemmas with the appropriate combiatio of reflectio, supervisio, ad cosultatio. (iii) Be committed to the requiremets of this Code. (iv) Egage i a process of ethical decisio makig that icludes: idetifyig relevat issues; reflectig upo established priciples, values, ad stadards; seekig supervisio or peer review; usig the Code of Ethics ad Coduct to idetify the priciples ivolved; Code of Ethics ad Coduct 15

18 developig alterative courses of actio i the light of cotextual factors; aalysig the advatages ad disadvatages of various courses of actio for those likely to be affected, allowig for differet perspectives ad cultures; choosig a course of actio; ad evaluatig the outcomes to iform future ethical decisio makig. (v) Be able to justify their actios o ethical grouds. (vi) Remai aware that the process of ethical decisio makig must be udertake with sesitivity to ay time costraits that may exist. (vii) Give the existece of legal obligatios that may occasioally appear to cotradict certai provisios of this Code, aalyse such cotradictios with particular care, ad adhere to the extet possible to these ethical priciples while meetig the legal requiremets of their professioal roles. 2.3 Stadard of recogisig limits of competece (i) Practice withi the boudaries of their competece. (ii) Egage i Cotiued Professioal Developmet. (iii) Remai abreast of scietific, ethical, ad legal iovatios germae to their professioal activities, with further sesitivity to ogoig developmets i the broader social, political ad orgaisatioal cotexts i which they work. (iv) Seek cosultatio ad supervisio whe idicated, particularly as circumstaces begi to challege their scietific or professioal expertise. (v) Egage i additioal areas of professioal activity oly after obtaiig the kowledge, skill, traiig, educatio, ad experiece ecessary for competet fuctioig. 16 The British Psychological Society

19 (vi) Remai aware of ad ackowledge the limits of their methods, as well as the limits of the coclusios that may be derived from such methods uder differet circumstaces ad for differet purposes. (vii) Strive to esure that those workig uder their direct supervisio also comply with each of the requiremets of this stadard ad that they are ot required to work beyod the limits of their competece. 2.4 Stadard of recogisig impairmet (i) Moitor their ow persoal ad professioal lifestyle i order to remai alert to sigs of impairmet. (ii) Seek professioal cosultatio or assistace whe they become aware of health-related or other persoal problems that may impair their ow professioal competece. (iii) Refrai from practice whe their professioal competece is seriously impaired. (iv) Ecourage colleagues whose health-related or other persoal problems may reflect impairmet to seek professioal cosultatio or assistace, ad cosider iformig other potetial sources of itervetio, icludig, for example, the Health Professios Coucil, whe such colleagues appear uable to recogise that a problem exists. Psychologists must iform potetial sources of itervetio where ecessary for the protectio of the public. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 17

20 3 Ethical Priciple: RESPONSIBILITY Statemet of Values Psychologists value their resposibilities to cliets, to the geeral public, ad to the professio ad sciece of Psychology, icludig the avoidace of harm ad the prevetio of misuse or abuse of their cotributios to society. 3.1 Stadards of geeral resposibilty (i) Avoid harmig cliets, but take ito accout that the iterests of differet cliets may coflict. The psychologist will eed to weigh these iterests ad the potetial harm caused by alterative courses of actio or iactio. (ii) Avoid persoal ad professioal miscoduct that might brig the Society or the reputatio of the professio ito disrepute, recogisig that, i particular, covictios for crimial offeces that reflect o suitability for practice may be regarded as miscoduct by the Society. (iii) Seek to remai aware of the scietific ad professioal activities of others with whom they work, with particular attetio to the ethical behaviour of employees, assistats, supervisees ad studets. (iv) Psychologists have a resposibility to be midful of ay potetial risks to themselves. 3.2 Stadards of termiatio ad cotiuity of care (i) Make clear at the first cotact, or at the earliest opportuity, the coditios uder which the professioal services may be termiated. (ii) Take advice where there appears to be ambiguity about cotiuig with professioal services. (iii) Termiate professioal services whe cliets do ot appear to be derivig beefit ad are ulikely to do so. 18 The British Psychological Society

21 (iv) Refer cliets to alterative sources of assistace as appropriate, facilitatig the trasfer ad cotiuity of care through reasoable collaboratio with other professioals. 3.3 Stadard of protectio of research participats (i) Cosider all research from the stadpoit of research participats, for the purpose of elimiatig potetial risks to psychological well-beig, physical health, persoal values, or digity. (ii) Udertake such cosideratio with due cocer for the potetial effects of, for example, age, disability, educatio, ethicity, geder, laguage, atioal origi, race, religio, marital or family status, or sexual orietatio, seekig cosultatio as eeded from those kowledgeable about such effects. (iii) Ask research participats from the first cotact about idividual factors that might reasoably lead to risk of harm, ad iform research participats of ay actio they should take to miimise such risks. (iv) Refrai from usig fiacial compesatio or other iducemets for research participats to risk harm beyod that which they face i their ormal lifestyles. (v) Obtai the cosidered ad o-subjective approval of idepedet advisors wheever cocludig that harm, uusual discomfort, or other egative cosequeces may follow from research, ad obtai supplemetal iformed coset from research participats specific to such issues. (vi) Iform research participats from the first cotact that their right to withdraw at ay time is ot affected by the receipt or offer of ay fiacial compesatio or other iducemets for participatio. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 19

22 (vii) Iform research participats from the first cotact that they may declie to aswer ay questios put to them, while coveyig as well that this may lead to termiatio of their participatio, particularly whe safety issues are implicated. (viii) Iform research participats whe evidece is obtaied of a psychological or physical problem of which they are apparetly uaware, if it appears that failure to do so may edager their preset or future well-beig. (ix) Exercise particular cautio whe respodig to requests for advice from research participats cocerig psychological or other issues, ad offer to make a referral for assistace if the iquiry appears to ivolve issues sufficietly serious to warrat professioal services. (x) Whe coductig research ivolvig aimals, (a) observe the highest stadards of aimal welfare, icludig reductio to the miimum of ay pai, sufferig, fear, distress, frustratio, boredom, or lastig harm; ad (b) avoid the iflictio of ay of these coditios which caot be strictly justified, i adherece to the Society s published Guidelies for Psychologists Workig with Aimals. 3.4 Stadard of debriefig of research participats (i) Debrief research participats at the coclusio of their participatio, i order to iform them of the outcomes ad ature of the research, to idetify ay uforesee harm, discomfort, or miscoceptios, ad i order to arrage for assistace as eeded. (ii) Take particular care whe discussig outcomes with research participats, as seemigly evaluative statemets may carry uiteded weight. 20 The British Psychological Society

23 4 Ethical priciple: INTEGRITY Statemet of values Psychologists value hoesty, accuracy, clarity, ad fairess i their iteractios with all persos, ad seek to promote itegrity i all facets of their scietific ad professioal edeavours. 4.1 Stadard of hoesty ad accuracy (i) Be hoest ad accurate i represetig their professioal affiliatios ad qualificatios, icludig such matters as kowledge, skill, traiig, educatio, ad experiece. (ii) Take reasoable steps to esure that their qualificatios ad competeces are ot misrepreseted by others, ad to correct ay misrepresetatios idetified. (iii) Be hoest ad accurate i coveyig professioal coclusios, opiios, ad research fidigs, ad i ackowledgig the potetial limitatios. (iv) Be hoest ad accurate i represetig the fiacial ad other parameters ad obligatios of supervisory, traiig, employmet, ad other cotractual relatioships. (v) Esure that cliets are aware from the first cotact of costs ad methods of paymet for the provisio of professioal services. (vi) Claim oly appropriate owership or credit for their research, published writigs, or other scietific ad professioal cotributios, ad provide due ackowledgemet of the cotributios of others to a collaborative work. (vii) Be hoest ad accurate i advertisig their professioal services ad products, i order to avoid ecouragig urealistic expectatios or otherwise misleadig the public. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 21

24 4.2 Stadard of avoidig exploitatio ad coflicts of iterest (i) Remai aware of the problems that may result from dual or multiple relatioships, for example, supervisig traiees to whom they are married, teachig studets with whom they already have a familial relatioship, or providig psychological therapy to a fried. (ii) Avoid formig relatioships that may impair professioal objectivity or otherwise lead to exploitatio of or coflicts of iterest with a cliet. (iii) Clarify for cliets ad other relevat parties the professioal roles curretly assumed ad coflicts of iterest that might potetially arise. (iv) Refrai from abusig professioal relatioships i order to advace their sexual, persoal, fiacial, or other iterests. (v) Recogise that coflicts of iterests ad iequity of power may still reside after professioal relatioships are formally termiated, such that professioal resposibilities may still apply. 4.3 Stadard of Maitaiig Persoal Boudaries (i) Refrai from egagig i ay form of sexual or romatic relatioship with persos to whom they are providig professioal services, or to whom they owe a cotiuig duty of care, or with whom they have a relatioship of trust. This might iclude a former patiet, a studet or traiee, or a juior staff member. (ii) Refrai from egagig i harassmet ad strive to maitai their workplaces free from sexual harassmet. 22 The British Psychological Society

25 (iii) Recogise as harassmet ay uwelcome verbal or physical behaviour, icludig sexual advaces, whe (a) such coduct iterferes with aother perso s work or creates a itimidatig, hostile or offesive workig eviromet; (b) submissio to this coduct is made implicitly or explicitly a term or coditio of a perso s educatio, employmet or access to resources; or (c) submissio or rejectio of such coduct is used as a basis for decisios affectig a perso s educatio or employmet prospects. (iv) Recogise that harassmet may cosist of a sigle serious act or multiple persistet or pervasive acts, ad that it further icludes behaviour that ridicules, disparages, or abuses a perso. (v) Make clear to studets, supervisees, traiees ad employees, as part of their iductio, that agreed procedures addressig harassmet exist withi both the workplace ad the Society. (vi) Cultivate a awareess of power structures ad tesios withi groups or teams. 4.4 Stadard of Addressig Ethical Miscoduct (i) Challege colleagues who appear to have egaged i ethical miscoduct, ad/or cosider brigig allegatios of such miscoduct to the attetio of those charged with the resposibility to ivestigate them, particularly whe members of the public appear to have bee, or may be, affected by the behaviour i questio. (ii) Whe brigig allegatios of miscoduct by a colleague, do so without malice ad with o breaches of cofidetiality other tha those ecessary to the proper ivestigatory processes. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 23

26 (iii) Whe the subject of allegatios of miscoduct themselves, take all reasoable steps to assist those charged with the resposibility to ivestigate them. 24 The British Psychological Society

27 IV CONCLUSION This Code provides the parameters withi which professioal judgemets should be made. However, it caot, ad does ot aim to, provide the aswer to every ethical dilemma a psychologist may face. It is importat to remember to reflect ad apply a process to resolve ethical dilemmas as set out i this code. If you have a questio about the code or about professioal ethics, there are several potetial sources of advice. There is a dedicated Code of Ethics ad Coduct area o the Society s website ( Ethical advice ad support for members ca be obtaied by ig ethicalequiries@bps.org.uk. The Society caot give legal advice, or provide practical support to members who have bee complaied about. For that reaso, the Society strogly recommeds that members cosider takig out professioal idemity isurace. The Society has approved a isurace scheme, ad details are available from the Society, but there are other isurace policies that members could cosider. The Society caot determie allegatios about fitess to practise. Ay such allegatios are referred to the Health Professios Coucil ( ftp@hpc-uk.org; telephoe: ; or write to: Health Professios Coucil, Park House, 184 Keigto Park Road, Lodo SE11 4BU). All allegatios agaist Society members will be dealt with i accordace with the Member Coduct Rules. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 25

28 This code was writte by the Ethics Committee of the British Psychological Society. Thaks are due to all the curret ad former members of the Committee ad all those who assisted i the draftig of earlier versios the code, with particular thaks to represetatives of Witess (formerly POPAN: the Prevetio of Professioal Abuse Network), the philosophers Baroess Mary Warock ad Professor Peter Rickma ad last but ot least to Dr Eric Drogi ad Professor Joh Williams. 26 The British Psychological Society

29 Refereces Bersoff, D. (Ed.) (2008). Ethical coflicts i psychology (4th ed). Washigto, DC: America Psychological Associatio. Thompso, A. (1999). Critical reasoig i ethics. New York: Routledge. Koocher, G. & Keith-Spiegel, P. (1998). Ethics i psychology (2d ed). Oxford: Oxford Uiversity Press. Fracis, R.D. (1999). Ethics for psychologists. Leicester: British Psychological Society. Friedma, A., Daly, S. & Adrzejewska, R. (2005). Aalysig ethical codes of UK professioal bodies. Bristol: Professioal Associatios Research Network (PARN). O Niell, O. (2002). Autoomy ad trust i bioethics. Cambridge: Cambridge Uiversity Press. Siclair, C.K., Pettifor, J. (Eds.) (2001). Compaio maual to the Caadia code of ethics for psychologists (3rd ed). Otario: Caadia Psychological Associatio. Bowell, T. & Kemp, G. (2002). Critical thikig: A cocise guide. Oxford: Routledge. Cater, M., Beett, B., Joes, S. & Nagy, T. (1996). Ethics for psychologists: A commetary o the APA ethics code. Washigto, DC: America Psychological Associatio. Warbuto, N. (2004). Philosophy: Basic readigs. New York: Routledge. Health Professios Coucil (2008). Stadards of coduct, performace ad ethics. Lodo: Author. Code of Ethics ad Coduct 27

30 APPENDIX Mai documets cosulted i preparig the Code of Ethics ad Coduct. Uited Natios Uiversal Declaratio of Huma Rights (1948) World Medical Associatio Declaratio of Helsiki (1964, last ameded 2000) Europea Covetio o Huma Rights ad Fudametal Freedoms (1963, last ameded 1985) Meta-Code of Ethics ad Carte Ethica Europea Federatio of Psychologists Associatios (1995) Code of Professioal Ethics The Psychological Society of Irelad (1999) Caadia Code of Ethics for Psychologists Caadia Psychological Associatio (2000) Ethical Priciples of Psychologists ad Code of Coduct America Psychological Associatio (2002) Ethical Framework for Good Practice i Cousellig ad Psychotherapy British Associatio for Cousellig ad Psychotherapy (2002) Ethical Requiremets for Member Orgaisatios Uited Kigdom Coucil for Psychotherapy (2003) Stadards i Applied Psychology Natioal Occupatioal Stadards Board Cofidetiality Geeral Medical Coucil (2004) Whistleblowers Policy Pack Public Cocer at Work (2003) The Local Authorities (Model Code of Coduct) (Eglad) Order (2001) 28 The British Psychological Society

31 The British Psychological Society St Adrews House, 48 Pricess Road East, Leicester LE1 7DR, UK Tel: Fax: Website: Icorporated by Royal Charter Registered Charity No INF94/08.09